Why hike the Lewis Creek trail? Not all of Yosemite's greatest sights are in ... well, Yosemite.
Visit the waterfalls on this trail and you'll be wondering why the park's founders didn't draw the border
another seven miles south to include them.

Crowd Factor: Far less than you'll find at any waterfall in
Yosemite Valley. If you visit on a weekday, you stand a
good chance of having Red Rock Falls all to yourself. You're more likely to have to share Corlieu Falls - it's a shorter hike and
tends to get more visitors.

Scenery Factor: The two waterfalls bookending this trail make it a memorable trip.
Corlieu Falls,
downstream from the trailhead, is an 80 foot (25 meter) series of cascades in a narrow canyon.
Red Rock Falls is much shorter,
at about 20 feet (6 meters), but compensates in width and concentration of power. The trail to Red Rock Falls is also pleasant in
a daydreamy-stroll-beside-a-stream sort of way. It proceeds beside Lewis Creek,
which is framed by ferns and mossy rocks, and the trail itself is lined with
evergreens and dogwoods. The shady environment produced by the timber and the canyon through which the creek flows give this hike a northwestern flavor,
especially in the spring.

Difficulty: These hikes straddle the easy/medium boundary. Both involve some elevation change,
and it's especially concentrated on the Corlieu Falls trail,
where you'll have a short but lung-straining walk up a steep trail to get back from the falls.
Still, the route is much improved; the Forest
Service has built a viewing platform and put lots of work into the trail. If you're
familiar with the pre-2010 Corlieu Falls hike and remember the perilous scramble down the slope to see the falls, the changes will impress you.
It's now possible to catch an excellent view of the falls without incurring any injuries at all.

Best Time to Visit: In the spring, when there's lots of water going over the falls and wildflowers
are blooming along the trail.

Nearest Bathrooms: in Oakhurst, 6 miles (9.5 km) south;
at Fish Camp, 5 miles (8 km) north;
or at the Yosemite entrance, 7 miles (11 km) north